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Rear Brake Return Springs Location?

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TR4

TR4

Jedi Knight
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Can you tell me where the return springs should be located on the rear brake shoes of a 64 TR4? The workshop manual shows both to be on the inside of the shoes. The PO has the adjuster spring on the outside of the shoe and the wheel cylinder spring on the inside of the shoe on my car. Could that cause them to hang up? I have had that problem and moving the spring to the inside would be the easiest fix I've run into on this car. I'm ready to let out a BIG WHOO HOO if that's the case.
 
It ain't a WHOO HOO!! Believe me.

Put em on the outside, like I did out of ignorance,
and you'll yelling BOO HOO, trust me.

That little error on my part cost me to have to replace
the entire rear brake assembly on both wheels.

It is truly a miserable task putting those blasted
springs behind, but it can be accomplished. But be
forewarned, there WILL be blood on the garage floor
beneath your brake drums. It ain't easy.

For future reference. There ARE NO EASY fixes for Triumphs.
There are PDO slop jobs and there are proper, well
executed repairs.

I'm guessing Tom sent you the step by step brake shoe
"how to" install. If so, follow it. It works.

d
 
Actually I didn't send a step by step. But I sent a picture of a proper installation. The reason I sent it by PM was that it is copyright and I really should not even have done that.

When I do my rear brakes (they are good now) I will do a sequence unless someone else does it first.
 
Way I do it is to assemble the springs to the shoes first. Then, holding one shoe in each hand to keep tension on the springs, slide first one spring then the other behind the hub. Engage the parking brake lever, then set that shoe into the slot in the piston. Move the other shoe into the slot in the slave cylinder. Then put the other ends into the adjuster slots, one at a time. The first one is easy, but depending on how strong your springs (and hands) are, you may need to pry the last one into place. Now add the hold-down nails, springs, and retainers (if the retainers are separate from the springs.

Bloodless, and once you've done it a few times, easy. If you do let the springs slip out of the shoes, move the shoe out of it's slots to put the spring back rather than trying to stretch a spring into place.
 
Thanks for the PM Tom, photos are usually the most help. I really appreciate that.

Cheers,
Phil
 
Like Randall, I put the springs on first then with one shoe in its slots stretch the other over -- watch your fingers as once it goes in it may want to snap back against the backing plate rather smartly.

One other thing... maybe everybody knows this... but I think if you are removing and the reinstalling your old shoes (such as when replacing a wheel cylinder) I find it best to put them back in the exact place as before. If doing just one side you can't mix them up but if you have both sides off it is possibly to shuffle them L to R and front to back. They didn't like me doing that.
 
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